Bazaar Squad Gets Those Arts And Crafts To The Show

October 27, 1994|By BOBBIE HARVILLE Daily Press

HAMPTON — They work like elves to create exquisite holiday decorations, quilts, and other one-of-a-kind items. They spend countless hours sewing, cutting, painting and collecting to make it all come together.

Call them the Bazaar Squad.

Their mission: to provide handmade arts and crafts, delicious food and other goodies, all in the name of charity. Church members and area crafters are getting ready for annual bazaars -a ritual practiced by almost every denomination.

Preparing for these old-style markets can be a time-consuming passion. A group of women gather religiously on Tuesday mornings for a crafts workshop at St. John's Episcopal Church.

"We work almost all year long," says church member Beverly Gundry. "We stop in November, take December off and in January we get going again."

The women create just about every craft imaginable including elaborate hand-sewn nativity scenes, baskets adorned with seashells and candy canes topped with holly and lace.

"Church mice are our speciality. We've been doing those for years and everybody loves them," says Gundry, showing off three hymn-book-carrying gray felt mice in red and white choir robes.

The church has held an all-day bazaar for more than 50 years. The Tuesday workshop began about 10 years ago.

"It's great camaraderie and fellowship," says member Janice Edwards. "We just have a nice time chatting and, of course, we're making things."

Hope Lutheran Church will host a two-day bazaar Nov. 4-5. Among the items up for grabs is an afghan crocheted by the church's oldest member, 81-year-old Lucy Driver. The white, rose and green 60-by-80-inch covering will be raffled off.

"It took me two months to make it. It has 117 squares in it," Driver says. "I've been working on stuff for this show since last January."

Driver and other members contribute handmade Christmas ornaments, pot holders, refrigerator magnets and more. Baked goods, including pies, cakes and brownies, will also be sold along with hot dogs and soft drinks.

"They can spend the whole day with us and not get hungry or thirsty," Driver says.

Some bazaars dovetail with other events.

The senior choir at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church has sponsored its annual bazaar for the past 16 years, says senior choir member Dorothy Terry. Every year, it's held in conjunction with the Hampton University Homecoming parade which took to the streets this past Saturday.

"The university's reviewing stand fronts our church's parking lot," Terry says. "Once the parade is over the people march in to get a bite to eat."